Uncle Pen (song)

"Uncle Pen" is a song written and originally recorded by bluegrass legend Bill Monroe. Besides Monroe, the song was recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1956, Goose Creek Symphony in 1971, Michael Nesmith of The Monkees in 1973 on his solo album Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash, and Ricky Skaggs in 1984. The song was Skaggs' ninth number one single on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart.[1] Bill Monroe played a character named "Uncle Pen" disappointed at the citification of Ricky Skaggs in the 1985 video for "Country Boy". The improvisational-rock band Phish has performed their cover version of Uncle Pen over 200 times in the band's 30-year career. Leon Russell recorded the song as "Hank Wilson" in 1973.[2]

"Uncle Pen"
Single by Ricky Skaggs
from the album Don't Cheat in Our Hometown
B-side"I'm Head Over Heels in Love"
ReleasedJune 1984
GenreBluegrass, country rock
Length2:23
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Bill Monroe
Producer(s)Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs singles chronology
"Honey (Open That Door)"
(1984)		 "Uncle Pen"
(1984)		 "Something in My Heart"
(1984)

Content

The song was about Monroe's uncle and musical mentor, Pendleton Vandiver.

Chart performance

Porter Wagoner
Chart (1956) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] 14

Ricky Skaggs
Chart (1984) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 315.
  2. "Uncle Pen Every Time Played". Phish.net. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  3. "Porter Wagoner Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "Ricky Skaggs Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
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